Death of former Seattle mayor’s accuser ruled an accidental overdose
SEATTLE — The man who last year sued former Seattle mayor Ed Murray for alleged sexual abuse — prompting similar allegations that led to Murray’s resignation — died due to an accidental overdose of illegal and prescription drugs, the King County medical examiner’s office reported on Monday.
Delvonn Heckard died from “acute combined cocaine, opiate [heroin], Alprazolam and Diazepam intoxication,” an investigator with the office said Monday. His death was officially ruled an accident.
Heckard, 47, was found unresponsive early on Feb. 16, after a friend called 911 to report he “was unconscious and foaming at the mouth” in his room at the Auburn Motel on Auburn Way South, a police report says. Fire medics responded and tried to resuscitate him, but Heckard was pronounced dead at the scene.
Inside his motel room, investigators found what appeared to be heroin residue and paraphernalia, as well as several bottles of prescription medications for depression and anxiety. Authorities withheld an official cause and manner of Heckard’s death pending toxicology tests.
Heckard’s death came about six weeks after the city of Seattle agreed to pay him and his legal team $150,000 US to drop a lawsuit against Murray and the city.
Heckard received $100,000, with his lawyers donating the rest of the money to programs helping sexual abuse survivors. Heckard’s attorney, Lincoln Beauregard, said he set up a trust account for Heckard so he wouldn’t spend the money too quickly.
Four other men also alleged Murray had raped or paid them for sex decades earlier when they were teens.
Murray has denied all of his accusers’ allegations. He resigned in September after a fifth accuser — his younger cousin — came forward claiming Murray repeatedly had raped him in the mid-1970s.